RISHI Sunak should be "swallowing some pride" and bringing back Boris Johnson to help boost the Tories' electoral fortunes, ex-Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has said.

Mr Kwarteng, who announced this week that he would be quitting Parliament at the General Election, also said the Prime Minister needed to "work on his outreach with backbenchers" to prevent more from standing down.

He told GB News on Sunday: "I've always been a big Boris fan. He had a very good success as an electoral force.

"We're 20 points behind, and the polls haven't really moved in the last year.

"So, it's not time to simply say 'more of the same'. Something has to change for us to have a chance of winning.

"And if that means swallowing some pride and you're suppressing a bit of ego by reaching out to someone who's an approved campaigner then, yeah, he should do that."

Mr Kwarteng, who briefly headed up the Treasury during Liz Truss' premiership, said that dismal polling for the Tories played into his decision not to stand for re-election.

Mr Sunak had not tried to change his mind, he said, adding that he "wouldn't expect that" as the Prime Minister was "busy".